Improved shallow-water boat



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALONZO TEMPLETON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVED SHALLOW-WATER BOAT.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 36,117, dated August 5, 156?.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Beit known that I, ALONZO TEMPLETON, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Boat; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this speci` ication, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of a boat enubodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-sec tion of the same in the line x x of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of the propelling apparatus detached from the boat. Fig. et is a rear end elevation of the same, showing the rudder in three positions.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

The object of this invention is to obtain a boat capable alike of locomotion on land and water, being designed more especially for the navigation of shallow rivers or such as are L obstructed by sand-bars.

The invention consists in the employment or use of an endless jointed track with an endless flexible band armed with iioats,in combination with the track and propelling-wheels of the boat, whereby it is adapted to use on land or water indiscriminately, having all the advantages of a rail-car in the one case and of a boat in the other.

The invention also consists in a peculiar construction of a compound rudder for steering the boat in the water, all as will be hereinafter fully explained.

To enable others skilled in the art to fully understand-and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

In Figs. l and 3 of the accompanying drawings, A represents a passenger-car, which may be constructed in any suitable manner; but the form which I prefer is that adopted in our Western steamboats. This car or boat is supported on a truck-frame, B, which is constructed of wood and mounted on a series of trucks or wheels, C C, which are secured on opposite ends of axles a a inside of their journal-bearings. These wheels are of a uniform size and are placed an equal distance apart in the frame, thus enabling each wheel C to support its proportionate share of the weight of the car and its freight.

C C are wheels arranged in a similar manner to the wheels C in the upper part of the frame B for the purpose of supporting that 'Encompassing the peripheries of the propelv ling-wheels D D is an endless jointed track, F, which is composed of metal links, which are successively connected together at their ends by pins passing transversely through them. Said pins, being providedwith a head on one end, are riveted at their opposite end to prevent them from casually working looseand thereby disjointing the track.

Inclosing the endless jointed track F is an endless iiexible band, H, which is drawn inward at its edges and caused to assume aform resembling that of a shallow-bottom boat by means of the incurvatedfends of the ribs c d, between which the band is interposed and clamped, the inner edges oftheband answering the gunwale of the boat. This bandis made of vulcanized india-rubber and attached to the endless jointed track'F by bolts (not shown in the drawings) which pass through the links from the inside into the ribs or cross-pieces c c, which are bolted to the ribs d don the outside of the band which forms the boat-bottom. The outer and inner ribs, c c and d d, when the trucks or wheels are passing over them on the track F, form railroad sleepers or ties for the jointed track, and thus prevent the rails from spreading apart. When passing through water, the endless flexible boat-bottoni is stationary while the trucks or wheels are passing over it, the outer ribs, d d, acting to obtain a hold on the water, and thus lessen the tendency of the boat to slip. As the car is advanced or moved forward thepropelling-wheels at the rear end of the car raise the endless jointed track, and with it the flexible bottom, and, carrying them forward, place them down on the ground or in the water, as the case may be, under the forward end of the car, forming a continuous track for the trucks or wheels to run upon.

rIhe engines for propelling the car, though not shown in the present application, are designed to be placed between the propelling-p,

wheels and to impart motion to them in the same manner that the engines usually impart motion to the paddle-wheels of a side-wheel steamer.

At the rear end of the flexible bottom, on the outside, is a transverse beam, which sustains the rudder, hereinafter to be described. This beam I is supported at its ends on supports or braces J J', which areattached to and project from the frame B.

The rudder consists of two posts, e e',which are provided at their lower ends with Wings f f', which are set at an angle with their posts and with each other. The posts ee are fitted to have vertical movement in the beam I at points equidistant from the center thereof, andare attached by pivots at their upper ends to opposite ends of a lever, K, which is fulcrumed midway of its length to the beam I. This rudder is connected with a windlass by having the chains which usually connect the opposite sides of the common rudder connected to opposite ends of the rocking lever K in any suitable manner.

rIhe superior advantages to be derived from a boat of the above-described constructionvare at least twofold-first, in the case of sand-bars and very shallow water an ordinary boat would be prevented from ascending a river beyond the point where the Water is reduced below her draft or where rapids occur over whichv she could not pass, while above this point might be deep water that would, if available, enable her to ascend many miles farther; secondly, in passing over a portage to get around steep rapids or falls, or in crossing points of e iiat land from one bend .of a river to another,

where the course of the stream is considerably curved and it becomes an object of great consequence to shorten the time and distance of a passage. y

The rudder, when the car is passing through the water, is only allowed to enter the water when it is desired to change the'boats course. At all other times it is elevated out of the water, and the boat thus relieved of the resistance offeredby the common rudder to its passage through the water. In a rudder of this kind, on account of the greater length that can be introduced in the construction of 4its wings, the dip required for the government of the boat may-be very light, while its iniiuence upon the course of the boat Willbe more immediate.

I am aware that an endlesschain of buckets or floats has been used for propelling a vessel through the water, and therefore do not Wish to be understood as claiming such device, broadly; but. i

Having fully described my invention,whatI do claim as-new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The endless iexible band H, having the form of a shallowboat-bottom and armed with ioats d, in combination with the endless jointed track F, propelling-wheels D D', and trucks or supporting-wheels G C, when. the whole is constructed and arranged in the manner and for the purposes described, and in combination with preceding and the like land and marine boat the compound rudder herein-r before described, consisting of posts e e', wings ff,.and rockinglever K, when combined and arranged to operate `in the manner and for the purpose specified.

. ALONZO TEMPLETON. [L s] In presence off JNO. H. JoHNsoN,

`THOMAS JEKYLL. 

